I thought of something random today. It seems that a lot of the folks in the original OOTP and a few other adult characters (like MacGonagall) were animagi, but NONE of the kids turned out to be shapeshifters.
Just a thought. I’m not sure if there’s any major analysis that can come from it.
That’s because they’re rare–it’s just another part of magic that wasn’t fully explored (like the stuff in the cave where AD had to spill blood and that funky little silver instrument that exuded smoke on AD’s desk etc).
I don’t think I could get past the memory of Eddy Monsoon to see her as Mrs. Weasley. Though I’m sure she would have done an amazing job in the role.
I’m not sure where they got the information, but Wikipedia says that the animagi ability is learned, not innate. If that is true, then the kids just weren’t old enough to be able to learn. Since you have to register, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have to be of age, that is at least 17, to be allowed to learn the skill.
McGonagall makes sense since she is a master of transfiguration and it would be logically for that skill to be a branch of that school of learning. James Potter was an unregistered animagus and Rowling has said his wand was well suited for transfiguration. Pettigrew, Black and Skeeter were also unregistered, illegal animagus’. (I believe they are the only ones mentioned in the series)
I still maintain that Dawn French would have been a much better Dolores Umbridge.
Probably from Prisoner of Azkaban, where Harry learns that Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail learned their transformations as a way of keeping Mooney company, IIRC.
What makes you think he did? 
I know, his shoe was tied, but that doesn’t mean he re-tied it. I know someone who hasn’t tied his shoes since the first time he wore them - he just wiggles his feet in and out of already-tied shoes.
A post in another Harry Potter thread reminded me of a problem I had with the ending. Well, not the ending, but with JK Rowlings’ statements about their lives after the Deathly Hallows.
Harry decided to get rid of the Elder Wand, and re-bury it with Dumbledore. He said that as long as he died undefeated, then the wand’s power would be broken. But according to Rowlings, Harry went on to become an aurorer. If he was intent on making sure the Elder Wand’s power was broken, wouldn’t he find a quiet job, and avoid a job that would have him fighting dark wizards all the time?
But he’s Harry Motherfucking Potter! The Boy Who Cannot Lose!
Don’t you understand? Deus Ex Machinas regularly fall from the heavens in the mere presence of Harry Potter.
My understanding is that he would have to be defeated while using the Elder Wand for the ownership to transfer. Ok, so that’s a bit of fanwankery…but I like it!
No, he defeated Malfoy when he was using his ordinary wand, yet the ownership of the Elder Wand transferred to Harry.
Hmm, forgot that bit. I’l have to rework my concept then.
Yeah, I think Rowling goofed on the Elder Wand thing. Still, even if someone managed to defeat Harry, they’d still have to break into Hogwarts and raid Dumbledore’s grave to get the wand (assuming they even knew where it was - remember, hundreds of witnesses saw Harry use it to defeat Ol’ Snake-Eyes, but presumably no one would know what he did with it afterwards), and even Voldemort and his whole army couldn’t take down the school. Plus with Voldy gone and his Death Eaters scattered, the wizarding world as a whole was probably a much safer place - lower crime rates, better policing, all that kind of thing.
Which brings up the question of how challenging it is to be an Auror in the post-Voldemort Potterverse. Seems like it would be about as challenging as being a police detective in Gotham City.
There are still criminals who aren’t Death Eaters. Azkaban didn’t come into existence just because of Voldemort.
It’s like Sirius told Harry in reference to Umbridge–the world isn’t divided between good guys and Death Eaters.
Oh, I know. I’m not saying there’s nothing to do. I just think there’d be an awful lot of, “Oh, jeez. More of this piddly stuff to deal with again today.”
I would envision Head Auror to be more of an administrative or managerial role then being out in the field as much. I could be wrong, but he probably would end up spending most of his time at the Ministry then facing down evil on a day to day basis.
Whereas I would expect that there are not only uncaptured and unrepentant Death Eaters still on the loose for quite a long time, but that there’s a job opening for a new Big Bad, and I’m sure there are no end of nutcases applying for the job.
There is also the issue of what happened to all those Dementors.
And I would suspect that there are plenty of other Big Bad Issues that don’t have anything to do with Voldemort, Death Eaters or Dementors.
Oh and you know, the Malfoys didn’t end up back in Azkhaban. Please try to tell me that Lucius spent the rest of his life being a good boy. Or that none of the children of those Death Eaters went bad. :dubious:
I could absolutely see Lucius pulling some power grab. You gotta figure that he has lost nearly everything, the world knows what he’s been up to, his comrades have fallen etc. Status and power and of supreme importance to him, I could totally see a sequel with him attempting to regain his former status.